(Editor’s Note: BGS has partnered with AEA Ribbon Mics and AmericanaFest to share special live sessions shot at Welcome to 1979 in Nashville, Tennessee during AmericanaFest 2025. Over the last few weeks, we’ve enjoyed select performances from AEA Ribbon Mics’ sessions in Nashville premiered right here on BGS. Our video today concludes the series – see all of the videos we’ve shared previously here.)
Artist: Palmyra
Hometown: Richmond, Virginia
Songs: “Palm Readers,” “Arizona,” “Shape I’m In”
In Their Words: “I was introduced to Palmyra via my friend publicist Rob Evanoff. So I watched a few YouTube videos, thought they were pretty good, and we booked them. I collected some basic background info so we’d have something to talk about, but otherwise knew little about them. Because we were shooting six to eight artists back to back each day, we normally only had one hour to set up, soundcheck, and video each artist. After we finished this session, I really wished that I had time to sit and have an extended chat with this band over a long meal. Their songs, while they sound catchy and upbeat, are so multi-layered and introspective. Some of the conversation that we had off-camera gave a glimpse of their history and brought so much meaning and nuance to their songs. By the time they played ‘Shape I’m In,’ even as the song sounded upbeat, when Sasha started singing the third verse about their identity, my eyes were welling up.
“This band is proof of the power of music. Hopefully, it’s bands like Palmyra that will drive us to continue supporting live music (human-created music) and artists with different perspectives. Just the way that Manoa can got more than a dozen types of sounds out of his upright bass was mastery in motion. Teddy brings a different voice and perspective, and together, they are just mesmerizing. Catch them live if you can. There’s a reason this band is on Oh Boy Records. Folk/Americana music is about speaking truth and building community. Palmyra is at the forefront of carrying on that legacy.” – Julie Tan, AEA Ribbon Mics
Video Credits: Audio recorded and mixed by Brandon Bell.
Video directed and edited by Michael Perlmutter, assisted by Patrick Dwyer.
Hosted by Julie Tan.
To purchase AEA Ribbon Mics or other gear, contact your local dealer. More information is available at AEARibbonMics.com.
